New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-17
THE CAUSE OF BAD PA VEMENT9

MARROW TIRES OF HEAVY VEHICLES - C"Ai
WITH PARK COMMISSIONER cRIMMINs.
When heavily loaded team approaches the city
Hall to 20 exhe Bridge the city the drver
turns directly Ito Chambers-st. La the blocR De-
tween broadway and Elru-st. the roadway was paVea
with asphalt last year, and the heavy Ioaaeo fuea
which has been rafting over the granite ooniders WIN
a noise like thunder, suddenly gides along over the
smooth surface as easily as a light wagon Two ana
something's four massive Percneron horses may De
pulling double truckoad OF -four weighing over TWO
tons They strike the Goes OF their shoes INTO tue
crevces of the granite as the truck rolls INTO so'o
depression in the Broadway pavement theT oodes
rsach forward and the massive muscles stand out ike
cables. 1t IL mighty load that can resist such
combination of muscle aud sinew. The relief when
thew ret to the smoother pavement Is evident; tue
animals whsk up their tails and seem ready 10 pranoe
with delight as their feet touch the yielding rosdoea
Park Commissioner CrimdTas, who has haa Wiae
experience with street pavements. boieess WIN
General Newton that great reform can be made in
New-York pavements.
ado not see," remarked Mr.. Crimmins the other
day. why we should not have just rs good pavements
In New-York they have IN London or Paris or III
Washipg ton There are several causes that operate
against them here that are not to be found In those
Cities but every of these causes, think couid
be removed. Under a system such as We have IN the
parks the road ways when torn Up have to De repaired
and p sced in good condition as they were rounu
IN. The extreme weather of this climate has great
main cause, am convinced, Is one that has not had
sufficient attention. Look at that load OF pig iron
coming down the street. 1t requires three horses W
pull 1t easily Every time IL strikes an uneven spot
the wheels bound and the heavy weight grnds into the
hard granite blocks Now look at the tires OF the
wheels they are barely more than two Inches wide
hardly any wider than the tires of a buggy wheel
where the weight IL rarely more than ZcO pounds.
With nearly ton bearing down on each OF 'hose
narrow tires 1t is wonder that they cut INTO the
hardest pavement like knives"
9Is there any regulation OF the Width Oh the ures
of vehicles in the city ~
@None that I know Of at least none that Is In
force In each OF the other cities mentioned, and
think in most all of tho principal cities in this country
some regulation Is In force 1t is the hrst requi1te
for good paw ements. No vehicle intended TO carry
weight OF one ton more should have wheels with
tires less than four inches. Those Old stages That
nsed TO run on Broadway had tires less than three
inches in width. They went bounding along the
streets and where there a car track the wheels
on one side would in ir, and on the other deep
ru was cut outside OF the track into the hard stone
blocks. I have doubt those stages did more 10
" ear out the Broadway pavement than any other one
class Of vehicles. Ii is not twenty years since tnc
| broadway pavement was laid Such pavement
under fair condition should last half century OF
wear and tear But you can see the effects &c u o.
street where there is much travel slight depres,
zion is formed in them in the limo OF the wheels and
in few months the slab will have rut worn into II
With q fair regulation OF tires think the wear on
the streets would be reduced more than one half.
Without such regulation do not believe good pave
ments can ever be kept up tor any length OF time In
NewYork There are not 50 many light vehicies IKE
cabs streets there are in London ON account
of the street railways but proportion thik we
have more Trays carrying one or two tons The wear
| ia enormous and much more rapid than IN London.
e zen thu fine new pavement in F;ith-ave. already
shows it,"
Would such regulation mako asphalt p@vements
| possible p
u think it would In the less travelled streets.
G,od asphalt paw ements OF wood payements can be
laid and kept in repair moro chesply than granite
payements but will not stand more than two years
| wear with our narrow wheels in the city. We see
the same bad effects carriage travel on the gravel
| roads in the parks"